Acceptable Use Policy A binding document signed by all users that
explains the rules of use for computer technology hardware, software
and online communications, particularly the Internet.
Acrobat Reader Document exchange software from Adobe Systems, Inc.
Adobe Acrobat provides a platform–independent means of creating,
viewing, and printing documents. Acrobat can convert a DOS, Windows,
UNIX, or Macintosh document into a Portable Document Format (PDF),
which can be displayed on any computer with Acrobat Reader. Acrobat
Reader can be downloaded free from the Internet.
Adaptive /Assistive hardware Hardware to adapt the computer’s
capability for input, processing, and output for students of different
needs (e.g., touch screen, voice-recognition devices).
Address book, e-mail A small database in an e-mail program in which
you store e-mail addresses for individuals and groups with whom you
correspond.
Address, Internet See Internet IP address.
Animation Representations of an object in motion.
Application A program that helps the user accomplish a specific task;
for example, a word processing program, a spreadsheet program, or a
file transfer protocol client. Application programs are distinguished
from system programs (which control the computer and run the application
programs) and utilities (which are small helper programs).
Arrow keys Keys on a keyboard that move cursor Left, Right, Up or
Down.
AU A sound file format, originally for Sun UNOIX systems, now also
supported on Personal Computers and Macintoshes.
AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) Microsoft’s video for Windows
movie format, used for storing video with audio.
Backspace/delete key Key on a keyboard that moves the cursor to the
left one space at a time and, in most word processing software, deletes
characters.
Bitmap In bitmap graphics, an image is displayed on the screen as
a collection of tiny squares called pixels, which together form a pattern.
Each pixel in the image corresponds with one or more bits; the number
of bits per pixel determines how many shades of gray or colors can
be displayed.
BMP A bitmapped graphics file in Windows format.
Boolean In computer science and digital electronics, this term means
an expression with two possible values, “true” and false, ”.
The most common Boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT.
Boot up Loading operating system software into memory to start up
a computer. Also called starting up.
Browser A program that allows users to read hypertext documents on
the World Wide Web and navigate between them. Examples are Netscape
Navigator, Lynx, and Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Byte A byte is 8 bits; one byte can represent a single character.
On most computers, the byte is the basic unit of addressable memory.
On IBM Mainframes, a word is 4 bytes (32 bits).
Cache A temporary storage area for frequently-accessed or recently-accessed
data. Having certain data stored in a cache speeds up the operation
of the computer. There are two kinds of cache: internal (or memory
cache) and external (or disk cache). Internal cache is built into the
processor, and external cache is on the motherboard. When an item is
called for, the computer first checks the internal cache, then the
external cache, and finally the slower mail storage.
Case sensitive Treating upper case letters as different characters
from the same letters in lower case. Filenames or text searches that
are case sensitive would distinguish between, for example, Internet
and internet.
Cell referencing A means of identifying and locating a cell, or range
of cells, which are to be used in a formula. Predominantly applies
to spreadsheet applications. Individual cells are usually identified
by a column letter and a row number. For example, D12 specifies the
cell in column D and row 12.
CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) A disk that is physically the
same as an audio CD but contains computer data. Storage capacity is
about 650-680 megabytes
Cell A box in a spreadsheet or table where data can be entered. The
intersection of a row and a column in spreadsheet or worksheet.
Chat acronyms These common acronyms (and dozens more) are used in
online, real-time, typed conversation and in e-mail as a form of shorthand
communication.
B4N or BFN Bye for now
BTW By the way
IMHO In my humble opinion
LOL Laughing out loud
TTFN Ta Ta For Now
Clip Art Pictures provided to be copied and integrated within larger
works
Clipboard An area of temporary memory which is used to transfer text
and graphics within a document being edited, or between documents.
The data is put into the clipboard with either the “cut” or “copy” command,
and then “paste” takes it from the clipboard and puts it
in its new location.
Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) A read-only disk that stores
large amounts of data to be used by a computer.
Computer-Assisted Drafting Software (CAD) Software designed to facilitate
computer-generated drawings or schematics.
Concept-Mapping Software Software that can graphically represent the
relationships among ideas (e.g., Inspiration).
Cookie A cookie is a set of data that a Website server gives to a
browser the first time the user visits the site that is updated
with each return visit. The remote server saves the information the
cookie
contains about the user and the user’s browser does the same,
as a text file stored in the Netscape or Explorer system folder.
CPU (Central Processing Unit) The “brain” of the computer
that performs most computing tasks. In microcomputers, the entire CPU
is on a single chip. Also called a processor.
Crop A graphic photo formatting term: To trim the edges of a graphic
image, removing part of the image.
Curriculum Integration Use of technology to support and enhance learning
and teaching in the daily course of studying academic content.
Cursor An often blinking or bright mark, line, box or picture on the
screen that shows the input location for additional information.
Database
1. A large collection of data organized for rapid search and retrieval.
2. A program that manages data, and can be used to store, retrieve,
and sort information. Some database programs are Lotus Approach,
Microsoft Access, Filemaker, and dBase.
Delete/backspace Key on a keyboard that moves the cursor to the left
one space at a time and, in most word processing software, deletes
characters.
Desktop
1. The whole computer screen, which represents an office desktop. With
a graphical interface, the icons on the screen resemble objects that
would be found on a real desktop, such as file folders, a clock,
etc. Icons on the desktop enable the user to run application programs
and use a file system without directly using the command language
of the operating system. On Windows 95 and later versions, the desktop
is the first screen you see when Windows starts.
2. A computer designed to stay on a desk, as opposed to portable laptop
and notebook designs.
Desktop Publishing Software that aids in the creation, formatting
and printing of documents with text and graphics.
Dialog Box A box on the computer screen that can be used to enter
information, set options, or give commands to the computer. The dialog
box gives the user choices (such as open file, delete, save) which
can be selected by clicking with the mouse.
Digital Describes any system based on discontinuous data or events.
Computers are digital machines because at their most basic level they
can distinguish between just two values, 0 and 1, or off and on. There
is no simple way to represent all the values in between, such as 0.25.
All data that a computer processes must be encoded digitally, as a
series of zeroes and ones.
Digital archive Information stored in digital format.
Directory, folder Places on a disk where you can store files and subdirectories.
The organization of directories (or folders) and files on a hard drive
is like the branches of an upside-down tree. The mail directory is
called the “root directory”.
Disk drive The device that reads from and writes to a floppy disk
or hard drive.
Diskette A small, portable, flexible magnetic disk used for data storage
on many computers. Diskettes come in 3 ½” and 5 ¼” sizes,
with several densities and formats. These disks are known as “floppy” disks
(or diskettes) because the disk is flexible and the read\write head
is in physical contact with the surface of the disk, in contrast to “hard
disks” that are rigid and rely on a small, fixed gap between
the disk surface and the heads. Diskettes may be either single-sided
or double-sided.
Distortion filters Add-ons to high-end graphics programs (e.g., Adobe
Photoshop) that modify or distort images in a predictable or controllable
way. A distortion filter might, for example, cause a picture to appear
as if it had been drawn in charcoal.
Domain name An Internet address in alphabetic form (for example, intel.com
or www.intel.com). Domain names must have at least two parts: the part
on the left names the organization, and the part on the right identifies
the highest subdomain. Directory levels can be indicated at the end,
separated by a slash (/). The right-hand side or end of a domain name
helps identity what type of agency or organization is hosting the site.
For example:
.com commercial site
.edu educational institution
.gov U.S. government
.mil military
.net network
.org non-profit organization
Other endings continue to be added to meet demand for new site names, such
as .ws for “world site.” Countries have their own URL endings as
well; for example, the United Kingdom is .uk, France is .fr, Korea is .kr,
Canada is .ca, Philippines is .ph, Australia is .au, etc. For a list of URL
domain names for countries around the world, visit Domain name registries around
the world.
DOS An acronym for disk operating system. The term DOS can refer to
any operating system, but it is most often used as a shorthand for
MS-DOS (Microsoft disk operating system). Originally developed by Microsoft
for IBM, MS-DOS was the standard operating system for IBM-compatible
personal computers. See also folder.
Download To transfer files or data from one computer to another. To
download means to receive; to upload means to transmit.
Drag and drop To press and hold the mouse button down, while pulling
the mouse across the pad. Data which is being moved is dropped, or
relocated, when the mouse button is released.
Drive A very fast input/output device that consists of one or more
spinning magnetic disks. A moving arm allows direct read or write access
to data recorded on the disks. A device that spins disks or tapes in
order to read and write data; for example, a hard drive, disk drive,
CD-ROM drive, or tape drive.
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) A storage medium
which has greater capacity and bandwidth than a CD. DVDs can be used
for multimedia and data storage. A DVD has the capacity to store a
full-length film with up to 133 minutes of high quality video in MPEG-2
format, plus audio.
Educational Computing and Technology Knowledge about the use of computers
and related technologies in:
1. Delivery, development, prescription, and assessment of instruction
2. Effective uses of computers as an aid to problem solving
3. School and classroom administration
4. Educational research
5. Electronic information access and exchange
6. Personal and professional productivity
7. Computer science education
Electronic mail (e-mail) A system whereby a computer user can exchange
messages with other computer users (or groups of users) through a communications
network.
E-mail address An e-mail address has the form “person
id” at “domain
id.” For example, jdoe@intel.com. The company name is identified
by its Internet domain name, intel.com.
Embedding With an embedded object, information in the destination
file does not change if you modify the source file. Embedded objects
become part of the destination file and, once inserted, are no longer
part of the source file. Double-click the embedded object to open it
in the source program. Both embedding and hyperlinking allow you to
add all or part of a new or previously created file (Microsoft
Office file, sound file, video file, etc.) into a Microsoft
Office file. An
embedded file becomes part of the file in which it is embedded. A hyperlink
simply points to the location of the original file, and opens the linked
file from its saved location.
Emoticons Typewritten pictures of facial expressions, used in e-mail
and when communicating on the Internet, to indicate emotion. Most often
producing an image of a face sideways. They are also called smileys.
Enter To input by using keystrokes; a keyboard key also known as the
Return key.
Escape (ESC) A key used to get out of, or exit, certain actions or
programs.
Extension, file name The portion of a file name following the final
point (period) that indicates the kind of data stored in the file.
Extensions are usually from one to three letters (for example, .ppt,
.doc, .au, .wav). DOS and Windows extensions must
be three or fewer letters; Macintosh extensions can have more letters, or can be deleted.
Fair Use A legal principle that allows portions of a copyrighted work
to be used for educational purposes without permission from the copyright
holder (e.g., use of portions of a copyrighted work with students by
educators to illustrate a concept).
FAQ Abbreviation for “Frequently Asked Questions.” Newsgroups,
mailing lists and Internet sites often have a list of the most frequently
asked questions about their subject, with answers.
Favorites A feature in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser
that enables the user to record URLs that will be frequently used
by adding them to a special menu. The equivalent in Netscape
Navigator is Bookmarks. Once the URL is on the list, it is easy to return
to that Web page simply by clicking on the link in the list, rather
that
retyping the entire URL.
Field The smallest piece of information in a database.
File A collection of information stored in any of numerous forms on
any of numerous devices. A file may contain programs, data, or text.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Allows files to be transferred between
Internet-connected computers.
Filters Hardware or software designed to restrict access to specific
areas on the Internet.
Flash drive/jump drive A small, portable flash memory card that plugs
into a computer’s USB port and functions as a portable hard
drive with up to 2GB of storage capacity. Flash drives provide
less storage
capacity than external hard drives, but they are smaller and more
durable because they do not contain any internal moving parts.
Floppy disk See diskette.
Folder On computer screens for Macintosh and Windows
95 (and above),
files can be organized by placing them into folders that look like
office file folders. These folders correspond to directories in DOS.
Font A text formatting term: A complete assortment of printer characters
in a particular type style, typeface, size and orientation. Most fonts
include letters, numbers, punctuation and some special symbols. Note
that the Roman (normal), Italic, Bold and Bold Italic typeface forms
of any type style and size are each separate fonts. A font family is
a complete set of characters in the same type style, including all
sizes and typefaces, such as bold, italic and underline.
Footer A text formatting term: One or more lines of text that appear
at the bottom of every page.
Format To arrange data in a particular manner. For example, on a spreadsheet,
numbers may be displayed in many formats, including 40%, a percent
format.
Formula Formulas are equations that perform calculations on values
in your worksheet. A formula starts with an equal sign (=). For example,
the following formula multiplies 2 by 3 and then adds 5 to the result:
=5+2*3.
Freeware Software, often written by enthusiasts, distributed at no
charge by users’ groups,
e-mail, local bulletin boards, Usenet, or other electronic media. Freeware
is software that is available free of charge, but is copyrighted by
the developer, who retains the right to control its redistribution
and to sell it in the future. Freeware is different from free software
(or software in the public domain), which has no restrictions on use,
modification, or redistribution.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) A protocol in the internet suite which
allows a user on any computer to get files from another computer, or
to send files to another computer.
Function Functions are predefined formulas that perform calculations
by using specific values, called arguments, in a particular order,
or structure. Functions can be used to perform simple or complex calculations.
The structure of a function begins with an equal sign (=), followed
by the function name (such as SUM, AVERAGE, etc.), an opening parenthesis,
the arguments for the function separated by commas, and a closing parenthesis.
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) A format for pictures that many
browsers can display. A color-image transfer protocol developed by
CompuServe, GIF format works best for graphics with contiguous areas
of solid color like graphics, clip art, and drawings. GIF is the only
file format that allows for animation, transparency effects, or interlacing
(the graphic load gradually with a venetian blind effect). GIF files
are widely used on Web pages because they provide good-quality color
images in a format that takes up a small amount of space.
Gigabyte 1024 megabytes. Literally meaning one billion
bytes. Abbreviated GB, Gbyte or G-byte.
Graphics Designs and pictures created and used by the computer and
user to illustrate computer documents.
Hacker A computer user who illegally gains access to computers and/or
programs, and most often with the intention of causing harm.
Hanging Indent Paragraph formatting in which the second and subsequent
lines of a paragraph are indented more than the first line. Common
uses for the hanging indent are bulleted and numbered lists.
Hard copy Usually hard copy means paper, but presumably can mean any
printed computer output, such as microfilm.
Hardware The physical devices that make up a computer and networked
system.
Hard disk or hard drive The main device that a computer uses to store
information. Hard disks are rigid aluminum or glass disks about
3.5” in
diameter in a personal computer, and smaller in a laptop. They
are coated with ferromagnetic material and rotate around a central
axle.
Data is transferred magnetically by a read/write head. A hard disk
for a personal computer may contain as many as eight hard disks,
rotating around the same axle.
Header
1. A text formatting term: One or more lines of text that appear at
the top of every
page if a document.
2. A computer communications term: Control information that is added
before data
when it is encapsulated for network transmission.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) The language of the World Wide Web
used to create Web pages, with hyperlinks and markup for text formatting
(heading styles, bold, italic, numbered lists, insertion of images,
etc.).
HTTP (HyperText Transport Protocol) The rules by which World Wide
Web browsers and servers communicate. This is the protocol most often
used to transfer information from Web servers to browsers, which is
why Web addresses begin with http://.
Home Page The first page a user sees when visiting a World Wide Web
site.
Home row The basic keyboard position, in which the fingers of the
left hand rest on a, s, d, f, and the fingers of the right hand rest
on j, k, l. ;.
Hyperlink A link is an HTML document that leads to another place on
the same page, to another page on the same Web site, or to another
World Wide Web site. A browser usually displays a hyperlink in some
distinguishing way, such as a different color, for or style. When the
user activates the link (by clicking on it with the mouse), the browser
displays the target of the link. Sometimes pictures have hyperlinks.
Hypermedia Hypermedia refers to interactive, nonlinear presentation
of information in which more that one medium may be used (e.g., print,
video, and computer), and in which users select their own paths through
the material.
Hypertext Text that has hyperlinks. When hypertext is viewed with
an interactive browser, certain words appear highlighted by underlining
or color; clicking on a highlighted link leads to another location
with more information about the subject. The term was coined by Ted
Nelson around 1965 for a collection of documents (or “nodes”)
containing cross-references or links which with the aid of an interactive
browser program, allow the reader to move easily from one document
to another.
Icon A small picture on the screen that represents a file or program.
Input
(n.) Whatever goes into the computer. Input can take a variety of forms,
from commands you enter from the keyboard to data from another computer
or device. A device that feeds data into a computer, such as a keyboard
or mouse, is called an input device.
(v.) The act of entering data into a computer.
Intellectual property Any product of the human intellect that is a
unique, novel and unobvious result of creativity.
Internet The internet is a network of networks, linking
computers to computers by speaking the same language called TCP/IP
protocol. Each
computer runs software to provide or “serve” information
and/or to access and view information. The Internet (with a capital
I) is the world’s largest internet. The Internet includes a variety
of electronic services such as electronic mail (e-mail), Telnet (remote
login), FTP (File Transfer Protocol for downloading or uploading of
files)., Gopher (an early, text-only method for accessing
internet documents), and the World Wide Web. The Internet was originally
developed for the United States military, and then became used for
government, academic, and commercial research and communications.
Internet Explorer Microsoft’s World Wide Web browser.
Internet IP address A unique number identifying each host machine
on the Internet network. Also called the IP address or TCP/IP address,
a numeric address such as 123,231,32,2 that the domain name server
translates into a domain name. In addition to the Internet address,
each machine has an Internet domain style name that usually has
the form machine, location, domain or machine.group.location.domain.
The term is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to a host’s
fully qualified domain name.
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) A format for storing high-quality
color and grayscale photographs in bitmap form. JPEG files are most
effective for photographic images or images with lots of subtle color
and tones.
Justification In word processing, a way to align words along the right,
left, or both margins.
Keyword A word or words which can be searched for in documents or
menus.
Label An entry in a spreadsheet that contains a letter is recognized
automatically as a label. Labels are excluded from calculations.
You can format a number as a label if you begin the entry with and
apostrophe
(‘). The number is then excluded from calculations.
Link see hyperlink.
Log on/log off To sign on/off on a computer system.
Mail merge Refers to generating form letters by combining one file
containing a list of names, addresses, and other information with a
second file containing the text of the letter.
Megabyte Equals 1,048,576 bytes, or 1024 kilobytes. The text of a
six hundred page paperback book would require about one megabyte of
ASCII storage. (ASCII is the basis of character sets used in almost
all present-day computers.) Abbreviated MB.
Memory The part of a computer system that is used to run programs.
The working space used by the computer to hold the program that
is currently running, along with the data it needs, and to run programs
and process data. The main memory is built from Random Access Memory
(RAM) chips. The amount of memory available determines the size
of
programs that can be run, and whether more than one program can
run at a time. Main memory is temporary, and is lost when the computer
is turned off. It is distinguished from more permanent internal
Read
Only Memory (ROM) which contains the computer’s essential
programs, and storage (the disks and tapes which are used to store
data). In
the general sense it can be any device that can hold data in machine-readable
format. Also see RAM and ROM.
Menu An often hierarchal list of information “trees” to
sub-menus or other documents.
Merge To combine two files in such a way that the resulting file has
the same organization as the two individual files. For example, if
two files contain a list of names in alphabetical order, merging the
two files results in one large file with all the names still in alphabetical
order.
Meta-search engine A search engine that queries other search engines
and then combines the results that are received from all. In effect,
the user is not using just one search engine but a combination of many
search engines at once to optimize Web searching.
MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) A sound file format. It
is a standard connection for digital control of musical devices. Used
for synthesized music. Cannot be used for the human voice or other
complex sounds. File size is usually small.
Modem A peripheral device that connects computers to each other for
sending communications through telephone lines. The modem modulates
the digital data of computers into analog signals to send over the
telephone lines, then demodulates back into digital signals to be read
by the computer on the other end; thus the name “modem” for
modulator/demodulator. It converts characters into a form that can
be transmitted over a telephone line, and reconverts transmitted signals
to characters.
Monitor The TV-like screen that lets you see your computer activity
and output.
MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO (International Standards
Organization) group that sets standards for compressing and storing
video, audio, and animation in digital form. Codec technology for moving
images using inter- and intra-frame compression.
Multimedia Multimedia is communication that uses any combination of
different media, and may or may not involve computers. Multimedia may
include text, spoken audio, music, sounds, images, animation and video.
Often also includes hyperlinked text and objects.
Multitask The ability to execute more than one task at the same time,
a task being a program. In multitasking, only one CPU is involved,
but it switches from one program to another so quickly that it gives
the appearance of executing all of the programs at the same time.
Navigate To find one’s way around on the World Wide Web by following
hypertext links from document to document, and from computer to
computer. One can also navigate between directories and sub-directories.
Netiquette A pun on “etiquette” referring to proper behavior
on a network.
Netscape Netscape is a set of WWW browsers, produced by Netscape Communications
Corporation.
Network A group of interconnected computers, including the hardware
and software used to connect them.
Offline Logically or physically disconnected from the computer, computer
network, or the Internet. For example, a reel of tape is offline storage.
A Web page that has been downloaded or saved so that it can be read
while not connected to the Internet is for offline viewing.
Online
1. Ready for use (for example, “The graph plotter is fixed and
online again”).
2. Accessible through a computer (or terminal),
rather than on paper or other mediums.
3. A user actively using a computer system, especially the Internet
(for example, “I haven’t been online for three days.”)
Operating system The main control program of a computer that schedules
tasks, manages storage, and handles communication with peripherals.
Often abbreviated as OS or “o/s”.
Output The results from the computer after processing information.
Page Orientation A term used in word processing
and desktop publishing that is used to define how a document appears
on the page. Examples
are: Portrait (vertical layout), Landscape (horizontal layout)
and Mirror Image.
PDF (Portable Document Format) A platform-independent PostScript-based
file format; part of Adobe Acrobat. Acrobat can convert a DOS,
Windows, UNIX or Macintosh document into a Portable Document Format (PDF) which
can be displayed on any computer with Acrobat Reader.
Peripherals Any device that is attached to a computer system or network,
such as printers, disks and tape drives.
Platform Specific computer hardware, as in the phrase “platform
independent.” The underlying hardware or software for an operating
system. The basic system on which applications execute. Two common
platforms are PC and Macintosh.
Pixel Short for picture element. A pixel is the smallest logical unit
of visual information that can be used to build an image. Pixels are
the little squares that can be seen when a graphics image is enlarged.
The more pixels in an image, the better its resolution.
Point and Click The placement of the cursor on screen at the spot
you wish to begin working.
Port A pathway for data flow in and out of a computer. A computer
port is a receptacle for attaching input and output devices.
Portal A Web site that offers a great amount of content and services,
either on many subjects (such as Yahoo! or About.com) or on a specific
subject (like education).
Public Domain Belonging to the public; not protected by copyright.
Query A request for information from a database.
QWERTY Pronounced kwer-tee, refers to the arrangement of keys on a
standard English computer keyboard or typewriter. The name derives
from the first six characters on the top alphabetic line of the keyboard.
QuickTime A system 7 extension for Macintosh from Apple Computer that
integrates full-motion video and sound into application programs that
gives a seamless integration of video, sound, and animation. Also available
as QuickTime for Windows.
RAM (Random Access Memory) The memory that is available on a computer
for storing data and programs currently being processed. It is automatically
erased when the power is turned off. Information in the RAM that needs
to be stored for future use must by saved onto a disk or a tape.
Record A row in a database containing all the fields about a unique
item.
Relative cell reference A cell address in a spreadsheet that specifies
the address of the cell relative to the cell containing the formula.
Example: A1.
Resolution A graphics formatting term: The number of dots per inch
used to represent a graphics image. The term “pixels” is
also used for “dots” in this context. High resolution images
look smoother and have more dots per inch that do low resolution images.
The resolution of images displayed on the screen is usually lower that
the of the final laser printout. Laser printers print 300 dots (or
pixels) per inch or more; typesetters print 1200 dots (or pixels) per
inch or more.
ROM (Read Only Memory) Stored permanent systems instructions,
which are never changed; It holds its contents even when the power
is turned off. Data is placed
in ROM only once, and stays there permanently. ROM is generally installed
by the manufacturer as part of the system.
Rubric A scale, guide, or continuum that is created to clarify expectations
for a given projects and to give a specific feedback
Scaffolding tools Scaffolding tools help student to organize and support
their own investigations, and keep them from straying too far off the
path of a given inquiry. Examples of scaffolding tools include concept
maps, checklists, study guides, self-assessment tools, and organizational
charts.
Scroll To move text up or down on the screen, usually with a scrollbar.
Search directory A remotely accessible program that lets you do keyword
searches for information on the Internet. A directory is a catalog
of sites collected and organized by people. Subject directories are
often called subject “trees” because they start with a
few main categories and then branch out into subcategories, topics,
and subtopics. Yahoo is the most common search directory.
Search engine Software that allows retrieval of information from electronic
databases (library catalogs, CD-ROMs, the Web) by locating user-defined
characteristics of data such as word patterns, dates, or file formats.
Web examples are Alta Vista, Google, and Lycos.
Server A server is a special device used to “serve” a
system or facility. A server is a computer in a client/server architecture
that supplies files or services. The computer that requests services
is called the client. The client may request file transfer, remote
logon, printing, or other available services.
Shareware Software that is copyrighted, but may be downloaded and
used for a limited time for free, after which the user is asked to
voluntarily send the author a small payment. Some shareware products
offer additional features, documentation, technical support, and/or
updates to registered users.
Shortcut Microsoft Corporation’s term for a symbolic link. On
the Macintosh, Apple Corporation refers to a symbolic link as an
alias.
Signature file Return address information such as name, phone number,
and e-mail address that users put at the bottom of e-mail messages.
Site An organization or facility where a host computer is located.
Smiley See emoticon.
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) A protocol from the Internet
suite (e.g., TCP/IP) that is used to send electronic mail between users
on different host systems.
Software The programs and data that make computer hardware function.
Sort To organize records in a database or list to achieve a certain
order, such as alphabetical, numerical date, ascending, descending,
etc.
Sound Clip An audio file typically used in multimedia applications.
Examples:
Wave (.wav) Most popular
MIDI (.mid) Used for Instrumental music
MPEG (.mp3) Used for songs
Real Audio (.ra) Used for live broadcasts
Spacebar The long bar located at the bottom edge of the keyboard and
used to move the cursor one space to the right.
Spreadsheet A table that displays numbers in rows and columns, used
for accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, scientific applications,
and other work with figures. A document to store and work with data.
Called a worksheet in Excel.
Storage The capacity of a device to hold and retain data.
Storyboard A precise description detailing how each multimedia element
is going to be used, and screen-by-screen planning of what is available
to the end user.
Surfer A person who browses the Internet.
Tab key A key that permits the cursor to skip/jump ahead to some preset
point.
Taskbar A bar along the bottom edge (or side) of the Windows
NT/95 desktops and later versions that contains the Start button and a button
for each program that is currently running. The taskbar can be used
to switch from one task to another. It can also be dragged around with
the mouse and adjusted in size.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) A set of
protocols used to allow computers to share resources across a network.
These protocols support file transfer, remote logon, and electronic
mail between users on the different host computers on the network.
See also Internet IP Address.
Telnet Allows users to access computer data globally, and often through
libraries, universities, and government agencies.
Text box A resizable container for text or graphics. Use text boxes
to position several blocks of text on a page or to give text a different
orientation from other text in the document.
Text wrap A text formatting term: The ability to wrap text around
graphic images on a page layout. Some desktop publishing systems have
an automatic text wrap feature that will shorten lines of text when
a graphic image is encountered. In other systems, you need to change
the length of lines by changing the column margins or by inserting
hard carriage returns to shorten the lines. See also word wrap.
Upload To transfer information stored in the user’s system to
a remote computer system.
USB Short for Universal Serial Bus, an external bus
standard that supports data transfer rates of 12 Mbps. A single USB
port can be used
to connect up to 127 peripheral devices, such as mice, modems, and
keyboards. USB also supports Plug-and-Play installation and hot plugging.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) The address for an Internet Web site,
generally beginning: http://. A standard that specifies the location
of an object on the Internet, such as a file or a newsgroup. See also
domain name.
Value An entry in a spreadsheet that begins with a number or mathematical
sign. Values are aligned at the right margin of the cell by default
and are included in calculations.
Videoconferencing Video and audio transmitted live via telecommunications
that allow people at remote locations to see and hear each other.
Virtual Virtual refers to anything that seems real but is actually
simulated by the operating system or applications. For example, virtual
memory is really disk storage made to look like real memory.
Virus A program that replicates itself on computer systems by incorporating
itself into other programs that are shared among computer systems.
Wakeup Power management function whereby a computer is returned to
the active state after being placed on standby or in hibernation.
WAV A popular format for storing audio files for windows applications.
Sounds are “true-to-life,” but can result in very large
files.
Web See World Wide Web
Web site
1. Any computer on the Internet running a World Wide Web server process. A
particular
Web site is identified by the hostname part of a URL (e.g., www.intel.com is
the host-
name of http://www.intel.com/education).
2. Sets of Web pages that can be visited by browsers.
Word processing A software tool that permits creation of a text document
from simple to highly complex.
Word wrap A text formatting term: Automatic adjustment of the number
of words on a line of text, as they are being entered and displayed
on the screen, to match the margin settings. The returns that result
from automatic word wrap are called “soft” returns to distinguish
them from the “hard” returns which result when Enter is
pressed to force a new line. Word wrap is usually available in the “what
you see is what you get” word processing systems, which are common
on personal computers.
WordArt A tool in Microsoft Word that allows the user to create decorative
text. You can create shadowed, skewed, rotated, and stretched text,
as well as text that has been fitted to predefined shapes.
Workbook A Microsoft Excel workbook is a file that contains one or
more worksheets, which you can use to organize various kinds of related
information. You can enter and edit data on several worksheets simultaneously
and perform calculations based on data from more that one worksheet.
Worksheet The primary document that you use in Excel to store and
work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of
cells that are organized into columns and rows.
World Wide Web Also known as WWW or Web. A hypermedia-based system
for browsing Internet sites. It is named the Web because it is made
of many sites linked together; users can travel from one site to another
b clicking on hyperlinks. The World Wide Web is a network of information
servers, principally the ones using HTTP to serve up HTML documents.
Their servers are linked, not in any tight or formal sense, but because
an HTML document from one server might contain pointers to documents
on many other servers. On the Web, everything (documents, menus, indexes)
is represented to the user as a hypertext object in HTML format. Hypertext
links refer to other documents by their URLs.
WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) A text processing term: (pronounced “
Wissywig”) A term used to describe systems that display full
pages of formatted text and graphics on the screen. Refers to the
ability of a computer to display the same colors and resolution
on the screen
that will come out of the printer.
ZIP Data compression and file packaging programs for personal computers.
Examples are WinZip or PkZIP. It may also refer to Iomega Zip drive
products.